Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to online and/or mobile payments and more particularly to a social network payment system for making online and/or mobile payments.
Related Art
More and more consumers are purchasing items and services over electronic networks such as, for example, the Internet. Consumers routinely purchase products and services from merchants and individuals alike. The transactions may take place directly between a conventional or online merchant or retailer and the consumer, and payment is typically made by entering credit card or other financial information. Transactions may also take place with the aid of an online or mobile payment service provider such as, for example, PayPal, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. Such payment service providers can make transactions easier and safer for the parties involved. Purchasing with the assistance of a payment service provider from the convenience of virtually anywhere using a mobile device is one main reason why on-line and mobile purchases are growing very quickly. Internet users are increasingly using social networking websites as a means to keep in contact with friends, business associates, and/or other relationships. Some users may belong to several different social networks that may include friend networks such as, for example, those provided by MYSPACE® and FACEBOOK®, business networks such as, for example, those provided by LINKEDIN®, review network such as, for example, those provided by YELP®, messaging networks such as, for example, those provided by TWITTER®, and/or a variety of other social networks known in the art. While these social networks provide users with many different ways to interact with their friends, business associates, and/or other relationships, one area in which they are lacking is in providing the ability for their users to make payments to other users within and/or outside the social network seamlessly (i.e., without leaving the social networking website.) Currently, if a user within a social network wishes to make a payment to another user, that user must retrieve an identifier for the user that is registered with, for example, a payment service provider, leave the social networking website, and go to a payment service provider website to schedule the payment using the identifier. Making payments in such a manner is undesirable and disruptive to the user's social network experience.
Thus, there is a need for an improved social network payment system.